Dogs Are Better Than Toads
by Moiya Hatake
Summary: Oneshot - Three year old Kakashi meets his new sensei. No Warnings. Work Safe. Fluff. Humor. Cuteness. Sarcasm. Minato/Sakumo/Kakashi


**Author's Notes:** No warnings. Just fluff. Un-beta'ed so please refrain from throwing stones if you find an error or two. :)

Inspired by a pic. Ill try to link it here if I can. If not you can see it on LiveJournal in the YonKaka comunity under the same Fic title.

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**Dogs Are Better Than Toads**

Minato sipped his tea quietly, patiently. But they had been waiting for nearly an hour and there was only so much the man across from him could tell him about his three year old without sounding like he was boasting.

The Yellow Flash didn't mind.

He thought parents, shinobi included, should boast and be proud of their children. He knew he would someday. Have children and proudly display them for all of Konoha to see just how beautiful and brilliant they were.

"He does this all the time. It's his curious mind. Leads him all over Konoha." Sakumo poured them both fresh tea.

Minato smiled, warmed by his own thoughts, "I don't mind. Im looking forward to meeting him."

"Im glad you agreed to take him on so young. I cant enroll him in the academy for another year and he's impatient to learn."

Minato chuckled at the idea of a three year old wielding a kunai and demanding lessons from his father. The height difference alone would make the scene far too funny to take seriously.

"Shinobi skills aside, he's still only three when it comes to other things. But Jiraiya said you were the best he'd seen since Saratobi-sama and that you were far more patient than he could be. Especially since their argument."

"Argument?" Minato's interest was peeked. An even funnier scene played out in his mind of a towering Jiraiya staring down at a two foot tall Kakashi.

Sakumo hummed into the steam of his cup, testing the liquid before taking a drink. Not in a million years would he forget the day when his life long friend had shouted, red faced, at his three year old son who simply looked bored with subject but continued to insist he was right and Jiraiya was wrong.

"_Dogs are better than toads."_

"Kakashi has recently learned about summons. After doing research he's decided nin-dogs are the best and nothing anyone can say will change his mind. Although Jiraiya made an honest and somewhat loud attempt, my son can be stubborn when he gets his mind set on something. And right now that would be nin-dogs."

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"Come here. I wont hurt you."

Kakashi sat crouched low, knees pressed against his chest, hand held out in front of him as he tilted his head to the side.

The stray dog just stared at the wiggling fingers unsure of the gesture.

He was twice Kakashi's size and almost as dirty as the three year old, hiding behind a trash can and looking as if he hadn't eaten in weeks. But Kakashi didn't care. He liked dogs and this one had potential he decided.

When the hesitant canine refused to budge he glanced around, searching the alley and trying to come up with a better plan. Apparently friendship wasn't enough. This made sense to Kakashi. Shinobi didn't work for free either.

His eyes widened and he stood up, stuffing his pudgy hand into the back pocket of his shorts and pulling out a flattened dango. After taking a moment to pick off some lint he held it out then crouched low again so he didn't appear so intimidating to his new friend.

A dry black nose sniffed the air, stretching out towards the peace offering.

Finally, after several hesitant steps and pauses to make sure the hand was safe, the dog devoured it. Smashed dango and pudgy fingers.

Kakashi smiled where most kids would have yelped and wiped his slobber drenched hand on his shirt, "There's more where that came from."

He stood up, patting the dogs head and scratched his ears, ignoring the crustiness of the fur as the mutt circled him sniffing for more food, "You can have another one when we get home. I read that rewards are in-in-insensitives..." he wrinkled his brow knowing that wasn't quite right but deciding he could look it up when he got home, "That's when you do something to earn a reward. You can earn another dango by coming home with me. Im going to train you to be my nin-dog."

The dog apparently wasn't impressed by his explanation of how things were going to be between them and continued to inspect the boy for food. Kakashi smiled and started walking away, watching the progress out of the corner of his eye.

The dog was following, hopeful for more food.

His insensitives was working he thought proudly but still slightly perturbed that he couldn't remember the word properly.

The journey home hadn't been too difficult for the overly confident genius. He knew every shortcut and hidden trail, most of which he'd created during his exploration of Konoha. And when the dog started to lose interest he would simply stick his hand into a pocket and let the dog lick the sticky mess off as a silent promise that he could have the whole dango if he continued to follow him.

But the silver haired prodigy hadn't anticipated an obvious hole in his plan.

Or rather a hole in the dogs stomach.

At first, he simply covered his pockets when the dogs curious nose discovered the exact hiding place of his insensitives.

But then curiousness gave way to persistent nips at his shorts and hands in an attempt to take the hidden treasures.

Kakashi's stubbornness wouldn't allow his plan to be defeated so easily.

He had already decided that the curious canine was going to make an excellent nin-dog and he was going to train him and then he'd show that toad loving shinobi just which summons were better because his nin-dog was going to be the best in Konoha.

So with deep conviction he continued to block and push at the dogs muzzle in an attempt to defend the insensitives while picking up his pace, positive that once they were home and the dog fed properly nothing else could go wrong with his plan.

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"Thank you for the tea and the conversation. I haven't had time to just sit and relax with good company." Minato shook the older shinobi's hand firmly.

Sakumo smiled ruefully, "Im truly sorry. Kakashi isn't usually gone this long. He must have found a new...friend?"

The blonde quickly followed the confused gaze of his host up the walkway to the main gate.

With every step the silver haired three year old managed to take forward, he was dragged back by at least two.

The dog growled and tugged, feet planted in the dirt.

Kakashi gritted his teeth, his hands grasping the front of his shorts with white knuckles and determination not to lose.

At first the two men just stared, not quite sure if they should find it amusing or worry for the three year olds safety. Sakumo decidedly stuffed his hands into his pockets and strolled out to meet his struggling son.

Minato quickly followed not wanting to miss his new students explanation of the...uh...situation.

"Kashi. What are you doing?"

A slip in concentration sent the three year old skidding backwards on his knees a few inches until a burst of carefully focused chakra stopped the dog from dragging him off into the forest.

Kakashi looked up at his father, a triumphant smile on his face, "He's my nin-dog!"

As if on cue the dog growled and shook Kakashi's rear like a rag doll, tearing the fabric and pulling the shorts down a bit further.

Sakumo scratched the back of his head, "Your nin-dog?"

"Uh-huh. I found him! Isn't he perfect?"

Minato cleared his throat in an attempt to keep from laughing.

"Kashi, this isn't a nin-dog. He's just a stray."

"I know that. Im going...to...train...him." the three year old grunted, trying to regain the footing he'd lost.

Minato and Sakumo both lunged forward when a loud shredding noise erupted and the dog shot off with it's prize, nearly taking the pint sized shinobi with it if they hadn't caught his arms in time.

Sakumo pulled his dazed son to his feet and looked him over, making sure the shorts were the only part of him that was missing, "You ok?" he asked, tucking his finger under the small jaw and tipping Kakashi's head back to inspect his scraped chin.

"No." Kakashi grumbled then turned searching the tree line, "My nin-dog."

"Kashi, you cant train normal dogs to be nin-dogs." Sakumo explained eyeing the boys scraped knee which the three year old presented without much thought.

"But I had insensitives."

"Insensitives?"

Minato smirked and knelt down holding up the shredded pair of shorts he'd managed to rescue, "Incentives." he corrected pulling a half eaten dango from a damp pocket.

"How did you know?" Kakashi stared disbelievingly at the blonde.

"I had a lot of furry friends when I was your age." Minato winked, "And toads and fish and snakes. Pretty much anything I could fit into my pockets." he added searching the shorts and smiling brightly when he discovered small turtle, "Hm. He looks a little shell shocked."

Kakashi rolled his eyes not missing the intended pun and held out his hand, "Should I know your name?"

Sakumo flicked his sons forehead, "This is Namikaze Minato. Your sensei. Also known as the Yellow Flash."

"So. You're the White Fang." Kakashi shrugged unimpressed by the title then turned to face Minato, "Yellow Flash huh? Jiraiya-sama talks about you. Dogs are better than toads you know."

Sakumo shook his head tiredly, "Kashi." he warned.

Minato narrowed his baby blues and leaned closer to the smug three year old, "Sorry Kashi-kun but I wont argue with you like Jiraiya-sama."

Kakashi leaned in a bit closer trying his best to be intimidating as he lowered his brow, "Why? Because Im three?"

"No." Minato tilted his head to the side, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "Because your not wearing any pants. Try to wear them tomorrow when we train."

Kakashi blinked at where the blonde had been a moment ago then turned to the hand waiting for him, slipping his own into the warmth without a second thought, "So what do you think of your new sensei?"

"I think he's a few kunai short of a set."

"Kashi." Sakumo chuckled.

"But he knew the word I couldn't remember so I guess he's got a brain."

"Kashi." he lightly scolded.

"And Im sure I can convince him that dogs are better than toads."

Sakumo silently prayed the infinite amount of patience the blonde displayed today would be enough to survive having Hatake Kakashi as his student.

"Well they are." Kakashi stared up at his father, matching sets of eyes narrowed on each other momentarily before Kakashi finally broke and smiled, "I love you." running off.

It took all of Sakumo's strength not to fall over laughing at his sons bare ass shooting up the hall, "I love you to Kashi." he shook his head, "Nin-dogs. What will he think of next?"


End file.
